Ok, here's a great double shot from 1978, my junior year in high school. I wore the hell out of both of these on the 8-track in the old AMC Hornet. It even looks like they filmed this first one in a high school somewhere. The guitar player and keyboard player both cut their teeth playin' for Carlos Santana, so the band had great DNA. I saw them when their tour came through town that year. They had two lead up bands that night. The first was called New England; a one hit wonder thing that played for 30 minutes that I've forgotten all about. Second lead up band was a little group that none of us had ever heard of called AC~DC!
Yep, it was their first tour of the states, playin' with their original singer, who was soon to expire. They did 30 minutes of mind blowin' shit, including an extended guitar solo while the singer carried the guitar player on his shoulders in a lap around the floor of the auditorium. We didn't know who the hell they were, but by the time they were done we were all spent. Then Journey came out and did an hour and we walked away feeling like we'd really seen somethin'.
It may not look like it here, but Journey rocked their asses off. Sadly, the singer took greater and greater artistic control over things as time when by and they eventually turned into a silly pop band. These two tracks were set up just this way on the album, the second and third cuts, and radio stations began playing the two songs back to back, just as they are played here. Loved the shit outa this at the time, and after listenin' to it again, I may have to download it and wear it out again. Enjoy.
And here's an even better band from '78. I also went to the concert in Ft. Worth from this tour. What a time, never to be had again. Boston was the ultimate late 70s guitar band, and their first two records still sound amazing to me. The best cut on this album is actually "A Man I'll Never Be", but I couldn't find a video of that one with decent sound, so here's the title cut from the second album. Enjoy.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Another little musical interlude.
Posted by FHB at 3:20 AM
Labels: boston, don't look back, infinity, journey, love the fro, major air guitar, spinal tap feel but who cares, the 70s
6 comments:
Great choices. That was right about the time I got my own stereo and started listening to my own music.
There was no comments available on the Smoke on the Water post, but that song was played at EVERY high school dance I went to in the late 70's. And we loved it. The minute we heard that opening rift, we'd go nuts. There was a local band "Shades of Blue" that did it so well. Thanks for posting that song;)
Well hell, I don't know how that happened, but I somehow punched that button to disallow comments. Bizarre.
Anyway, yea, that tune is iconic of those times. That opening riff is unbeatable.
This stuff takes me right back to high school. You can see a tinge of disco crud in the clothes the musicians wear, but the shots of the crowd in the Boston clip look just like my school chums. Lots of flannel and concert t-shirts. Hilarious.
Steve Perry was the clearest voice ever in rock'n roll. Love to hear him sing.
I love Boston's bass riff's...hooked me every time.
Yep, he was always good. Almost too pretty. And hows about those 'fros?
Oh my gawd, are we twins? Except I'm younger. Anyway. I think I love you.
Some Journey music is positively transcendent, and Boston was pure artistry.
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